The embodiments described herein relate generally to a system and method for path planning and, more particularly, to a system and method for mapping a motion of an object within a motion path defined by a path planner.
Conventional motion control systems include a motion controller that provides a signal to a motor driver that activates a motor to turn. As a feedback device, a pulse encoder creates a discrete pulse for every unit of motion that occurs and transmits the pulse back to the motion controller. This is referred to as a motion event. Such conventional motion control systems accumulate motion events only over a fixed sample period. Therefore, conventional motion events are only identified as occurring over a fixed sample period.
A path planner may be required to run periodically, such as every 1 millisecond (ms), in order to accumulate motion events over one or more fixed sample periods (e.g., if the motion system is accumulating pulses over a sample period of 1 ms). An additional task of the motion control system that requires more than 1 ms to plan a path for a sample period may starve the path planner of computation. For example, a computer in a car may be interfacing with a Global Position System (GPS) as well as generating a path for the car via a path planner. Each of the GPS and the path planner are time critical tasks that are required to run every 1 ms for the motion control system to work correctly. However, if, for example, the GPS requires more than 1 ms to calculate coordinates for a sample period, the path planner, which is required to run every 1 ms, is then starved of computation. Thus, the path planner cannot run properly because the path planner does not have an understanding of a sample period not occurring on a 1 ms interval and the process must be aborted as the motion control system can no longer determine a proper location.